This invention refers to sectional elements arranged to form blackout panels or walls with passage of air, and panels or walls obtained with such elements.
Blackout panels or walls with passage of air are usually used to screen apertures for the circulation of air, forced or otherwise, between the outside and closed environments, whenever it is required to prevent light from entering through the aeration apertures.
For example, a typical use is in animal breeding farms where it is necessary to ensure an efficient exchange of air between the areas containing the animals and the outside, while it is not always desirable for the outside light to penetrate into the premises and disturb, for example, the artificial sleep-wake cycles.
In the known technique there are known screening barriers formed by panels or walls traversed by more or less sinuous passages. The air can thus pass through the wall, by means of the passages therein, while the light is screened by means of the curvature of each passage. The barriers of known technique are usually made in the form of a plurality of modular blocks disposed side by side, each block comprising a bidimensional matrix of rows and columns for the passage of air.
A modular type structure of this kind however has a number of drawbacks, such as, for example, a relatively high cost due to the relatively complicated production of each module. Moreover, the relatively extensive width of each modules makes it impossible to easily obtain panels of variable sizes with a small pitch. The modular structures of known technique also suffer from problems in the areas of conjunction between adjacent modules and generally require complex operations consisting of sealing and/or adding side supporting walls interposed between adjacent modules to prevent the passage of light in said areas of conjunction. This also results in a high cost of installation.
A further problem consists in the difficulty of gaining access to the inside of each passage which extends between the opposing faces of the module. In the event of partial or total obstruction of one of the passages due to the entry of foreign matter, dirt or dust conveyed by the flow of air, cleaning the passages of the modules is a long and tedious operation and, very often the only solution is to replace the entire module. In any case, maintenance is slow and costly.
The general scope of this invention is to obviate the aforementioned problems by providing elements and panels with an innovative modular structure which is easy to produce, assemble and maintain, and with excellent light barrier and air passage characteristics.